Most families who haven’t paid have simply forgotten. Send a friendly reminder before the due date, a clear one just after it, and a firm one two weeks later, then pick up the phone. Keep every message about the invoice, not the person, and set your rules before term starts so you’re pointing to a policy rather than making it personal.
It’s week five. You open your spreadsheet and count 23 families who haven’t paid for term. Some of them you see every Saturday. One of them brings you coffee. You draft a message, delete it, and decide to wait another week. By week eight it’s 19 families, and now it feels even harder to raise.
Key takeaways
- Most late payments are forgotten, not refused. A clear reminder fixes the majority.
- Remind before the due date, not only after it.
- Use three messages that get firmer, then a phone call.
- Write your payment rules down before term and point to them.
- Saved cards and automatic reminders stop most of the chasing before it starts.
Why do families pay late?
It’s rarely about money. Most late payers fall into one of these groups:
| Reason | What fixes it |
|---|---|
| Missed the invoice email | A reminder by push or SMS, not just email |
| Meant to pay, forgot | A reminder a few days before the due date |
| Not sure what it’s for | A clear invoice name, like “Red Hotshots Term 4” |
| Waiting on the other parent | Sending invoices to both parents |
| Money is tight right now | A quiet offer of a payment plan |
| Unhappy with something | A conversation, not another reminder |
Only the last two need a real conversation. The rest need a better system.
When should you send payment reminders?
Start before the due date. A reminder three days before an invoice is due catches the families who would have paid on time if they’d remembered. It also feels like good service rather than chasing.
| When | What to send | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days before due | Heads-up that the invoice is due soon | Friendly |
| 2 days after due | The invoice is now overdue, with a pay link | Clear |
| 14 days after due | Final reminder, with what happens next | Firm |
| 21 days after due | Phone call | Personal |
Send reminders on a weekday morning. Avoid weekends, late evenings and public holidays. People are more likely to pay straight away when they’re at a desk with their card nearby.
Three reminder templates you can copy
Keep each message short, include the amount and a way to pay, and make it about the invoice. Here are three that get firmer as you go.
Reminder 1: before the due date
Hi Sarah, a quick heads-up that Mia’s Term 4 invoice ($280) is due this Friday. You can pay by card in the app or using the link below. Thanks, and see you on Saturday!
Reminder 2: just overdue
Hi Sarah, Mia’s Term 4 invoice for $280 was due on Friday and is still showing as unpaid. If you’ve already paid, please ignore this. Otherwise you can pay using the link below. Let me know if you have any questions.
Reminder 3: final reminder
Hi Sarah, Mia’s Term 4 invoice for $280 is now two weeks overdue. Under our enrolment terms, we need payment by next Friday to keep Mia’s place in the class. If something has come up, reply to this message and we can set up a payment plan.
If there’s still no payment, call. A friendly phone call sorts out most of the cases that get this far. Often there’s a reason, like a job change or a separation, and a payment plan keeps the family with you.
What should your payment policy say?
A written policy is what makes chasing feel less personal. You’re not deciding on the spot. You’re applying a rule every family agreed to when they enrolled.
- When term fees are due, such as before the first class or within 14 days of the invoice
- Which payment methods you accept
- Whether you offer payment plans, and how to ask for one
- What happens when fees are overdue, such as losing a held place for next term
- Whether a late fee applies, and how much
- Your refund and make-up rules, or a link to them
Put the policy on your website and your booking page, and link it in your welcome email. If you haven’t written your refund rules yet, our refund policy template is a good place to start.
Should you charge late fees?
You can, if families agreed to it when they enrolled. A late fee should be a fair amount, like $10 or $15, not a penalty that grows each week. Many academies find late fees cause more arguments than they’re worth, and a firm “pay by Friday to keep your place” works better.
If you do charge one, waive it the first time for families with a good record. It costs you little and earns a lot of goodwill.
When should you stop a student from attending?
This is the hard one. Turning a child away at the court gate is bad for the child and bad for your reputation. Have the conversation with the parent well before it gets there.
A fairer approach is to tie overdue fees to next term rather than this one. “We can’t hold Mia’s place for Term 1 until Term 4 is paid” is easier to say, and easier to hear, than “Mia can’t come on Saturday”.
How do you stop late payments before they start?
The best chasing is the chasing you never have to do.
- Take payment at enrolment. A family that pays when they book never ends up on your overdue list.
- Use saved cards for weekly lessons and memberships, so payments happen automatically.
- Send one invoice per family, not one per child per class. It’s easier to understand and easier to pay.
- Send invoices to both parents when you have both on file.
- Name invoices clearly. “Invoice #1042” gets ignored. “Red Hotshots Term 4” gets paid.
- Offer payment plans up front for bigger term fees, rather than waiting for families to ask.
For more on setting up invoices, see how to automate invoicing and GST for a coaching business.
Common mistakes when chasing fees
- Waiting too long. The longer an invoice sits, the harder it is to collect and to raise.
- Chasing at the court. Don’t raise money in front of the child or other parents.
- Group messages about unpaid fees. Always message the family privately.
- Different rules for different families. Be consistent, or the families who pay on time will notice.
- Only using email. Many invoice emails are never opened. Use push or SMS too.
How does Outcoach handle unpaid fees?
Outcoach keeps track of who owes what, and makes reminders a two-click job.
- Overdue invoices are flagged automatically every day, so you don’t need a spreadsheet
- Send bulk reminders to everyone with due invoices, overdue invoices or both
- Automatic reminders before due dates, by push and email
- Saved cards for families on recurring weekly or monthly invoices
- Family invoicing, so each parent gets one invoice for all their children
- Mark as paid when a family pays by bank transfer or cash
Leo, our AI invoicing assistant, is coming soon. Leo will watch your invoices, spot overdue payments and follow up families for you. Read more about payments and invoicing or see the payments help guide.
Frequently asked questions
Keep it short and about the invoice. Include the child’s name, the amount, the due date and a way to pay, and add a line like “If you’ve already paid, please ignore this.”
Send a friendly reminder three days before the due date, a clear one two days after it, and a final reminder at 14 days. If there’s still no payment, call the family.
Yes, if families agreed to it when they enrolled. Keep it to a fair, fixed amount. Many academies find that a deadline to keep a place for next term works better than a fee.
Try to avoid it. Talk to the parent first, offer a payment plan, and tie overdue fees to holding a place for next term rather than turning the child away mid-term.
Take payment at enrolment, use saved cards for regular lessons, send one invoice per family, name invoices clearly and send automatic reminders before the due date.
